Strip feeding device



Jan. 5, 1960 J. T. DAVIDSON. ET AL 2,919,916

STRIP FEEDING DEVICE Filed Sept. 19. 1956 INVENTORS 7. DAVIDSON ROBE/P7 14/. STA/V5671 BY 3 ATTORNEY United States Patent STRIP FEEDING DEVICE John T. Davidson, Dayton, and Robert W. Staneck, Lebanon, Ohio, assignors to The Standard Register Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application September 19, 1956, Serial No. 610,842 13 Claims. (Cl. 2712.3)

This invention relates to the feeding of perforate continuous web material by rotary pin Wheel feeding devices, and particularly to a pin wheel feeding device especially adapted and arranged for the effective feeding of tautly stretched webs or fast moving webs, or both.

.In the feeding of record strip material, comprising superposed record strips and interleaved carbon strips, frictional resistance to the free flow of the stationery tends to cause the strip material to run off of the feeding pins and to cause the carbon to creep. Machine design of the past has included an effort to remove such frictional resistance whereby the pin Wheel feeding devices may accurately feed the strip and align the superposed record forms, partly through the jogging action obtained through a relative sliding motion of misaligned strips as the pins fully enter the strip perforations. More recently, however, other situations have had to be met. Thus in one instance a modern business machine, imprinting upon successive lines of a record strip, has a relatively low rate of feed, but requires a very tight web of paper for its proper function. In another instance, a business machine requires high speed advance of the web, as on the order of 600 to 1200 lines per minute. The two described conditions are essentially the same since in both the paper and carbon comprising the strip or web are pressed tightly against the sides of the pins and there is no opportunity for a jogging action as in conventional installations.

The object of the invention is to simplify the construction as well as the means and mode of operating strip feeding devices, whereby such devices may not only be economically manufactured, but will be more efficient and satisfactory in use, adaptable to a wide variety of applications, and be unlikely to get out of repair.

A further object of this invention is to provide for feeding of tight webs of paper without incurring the problems of the paper running off of the pins and of the carbon sliding and creeping relatively to the feeding mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to present a rotary pin wheel feeding device adapted for substitution for conventional feeding devices without modification in other existing equipment.

A further object of the invention is to present a rotary pin wheel feeding device incorporating means for avoiding interference between the feeding pins and the web as the pins enter into and are withdraw from perforations in the web.

Still another object of the invention is to combine in a unitary rotary pin wheel feeding device as described, principles of reciprocatory pin movement whereby the pins are progressively extended and retracted and of rocking or tilting movements of the pins whereby selected feeding pins. may be given a rocking motion in accompaniment with extension and retraction thereof.

A still further object of the invention is to present a,

rotary pin feeding device of general utility, particularly of rotary platen supports.

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A further object of the invention is to provide a strip feeding device possessing the advantageous structural features, the inherent meritorious characteristics and the mode of operation herein mentioned.

With the above primary and other incidental objects in view as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention intended to be protected by Letters Patent consists of the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation as hereinafter described or illustrated in the accompanying drawings, or their equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawing wherein is: shown one but obviously not necessarily the only form of embodiment of the invention, M

Fig. l is a fragmentary view in front elevation, withthe platen tube member shown in longitudinal section, of

a web feeding apparatus constructed in accordance with. the illustrated embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in cross section, taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in longitudinal section, fragmentary in form, taken substantially along the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of a feeding pin in accordance: with the illustrated embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a view in cross section, taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a view in cross section, with some parts omitted, taken substantially along the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of refer-- ence throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing, in accordance with the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the strip feeding is carried out exteriorly of or to the side of a housing 10. A rotary feed shaft 11 extends from the housing: 10 and at its one end is journaled therein. The outboard or projecting end of the shaft 11 has a rotary bearing in a stationary machine supported bracket 12.v This end of the shaft 11 is also threaded to accommodate a jamb nut 13 by which rotary pin wheel feeding devices 14 and 15 on the shaft are held from a relativeseparatingmotion. The pin wheel devices are held froma relative approaching motion by a cylindrical platen tube 16 which at its opposite ends has an abutting engagement with the pin wheel feeding devices.

The feeding devices 14 and 15 are identical and a description of one will suffice for both. Thus, the device 15 comprises a body 17 having a hub portion 18 in keyed engagement with the shaft 11. The body 17 thus rotates. in unison with the shaft but is adjustable longi-- tudinally thereof, subject to the release of the jamb" nut 13 and tube 16. In concentric, radially spaced re-= lation to the hub 18 is a step formation 19 on the body 17' and from the step formation the body extends as a flange substantially to equal the diameter of the tube 16. In inwardly facing relation on the flange portion of the body 17 is a ring 21 secured to the body by pins 22. In longitudinally spaced relation to the ring 21 and rotatably mounted upon the step formation 10, is a reactant plate 23' which is held stationary reiative to the body 17 by means of a notch 24 in the periphery thereof which engages a cross rod 25 supported between the machine housing 10 and bracket 12. The plate 23 is held in place upon the step formation 19 by a retainingring 26 mounted on the hub- 13 of the body 27 and secured tothe body, as by screw studs 2'7.

The peripheral edge of the flange portion of the body 1:7,,and the peripheral edge of retainer ring 26, are undercut at respectively opposite side edges thereof inorder. to interfitwith an-endof the tube 16. .The rotary pin feeding device accordingly may be installed at either end of the tube 16 or installed between a pair of such tubes.

Disposed in a substantially radial position between the flange portion of body 17 and reactant plate 23 is a circumferential series of feeding pins 28. Each pin 28, as seen in Fig. 4, comprises a tapered pin portion 29, a base portion 31 and an angularly extending tail portion 32. In opposed relation on the base 31 are laterally projecting stud portions 33 and 34. On the tail portion 32 is a laterally projecting stud located on the same side of the feeding pin as the stud 33 and projecting in the same direction. The studs 34 of the feeding pins are received in respective radial slots 36 in the ring 21, there being a circumferential series of the slots 36 corresponding to the circumferential series of feeding pins. The studs 33 and 35 on the feeding pins are received in respective cam races 37 and 38 that are common to the series of pins. Thus, the studs 33 of all of the feeding pins are received in race 37 while the studs 35 of all of the feeding pins are received in race 38. The cam races 37 and 38 are similar in configuration to one another but are circumferentially offset with respect to one another. They are, moreover, in the illustrated .nstance cut in the surface of the plate 23. They might, however, be otherwise formed, as for example by cutting a recess in the plate which at its upper edge conforms to the upper edge of race 37 and which at its lower edge conforms to the lower edge of race 38. Into this recess would be placed a contoured ring defining the lower edge of race 37 and the upper edge of race 38.

The race 37 is constructed and arranged to effect a progressive extending and retracting movement of the feeding pins in a certain predetermined circumferential area. The race 33 is constructed and arranged to effect a rocking motion of the feeding pins as they enter and exit from the described circumferential area of projection. The slots 36 in the ring 21 enforce a driving relationship between the body 17 and the feeding pins, whereby the pins revolve about the shaft 11 in response to rotation thereof. Also, the slots 36, having radially extending side margins, permit sliding movement of the pins in a radial sense under control of the cam race 37. As apparent from the drawings, rotation of pins 23 about their own axes, which would free projections 33, 35 from the races 37, 33, is prevented by the fiat sides of base 31 sandwiched between ring 21 and plate 23 and also by the side surfaces of the slots. Further, it is apparent that only one side surface of each slot drives the pins. Accordingly the driving disc could have any shape as long as it is provided with radially extending surfaces to drive pins 28.

The stud 33 on each feeding pin, and the stud 34 thereon, are aligned with one another on opposite sides of the pin. These studs act as pivot points for rocking movement of the pin as accomplished through the cooperation of stud 35 and cam race 38. The ring 21 has been disclosed as separable from the body 17, since this is a structurally convenient arrangement of parts. The slots 36 might, however, be formed directly in the body 17. The ring 21 is attached to and is in effect an integral part of the body.

The peripheral edges of the body 17, plate 23 and retaining ring 26 are aligned with one another except for a projecting part of the plate 23 in which the notch 24 is formed. The aligned portions of the several elements define a strip supporting area whQch is in turn aligned with and forms a continuation of the exterior surface of the tube 16. The pin portions 29 of the feed ing pins 28 are adapted to be extended and retracted relatively to the described strip supporting surface. The strip, indicated at 39 in Fig. 2, reaches the strip feeding apparatus from the rear and bottom thereof and returns in a rearwardly direction after passing over the strip feeding mechanism. The side margins of the strip are formed with successive evenly spaced apart perforations in which successive pins 28 engage, and, in response to rotary motion of the shaft 11 pull or advance the strip over the supporting tube 16.

In the use of the disappearing or reciprocating pin principle of the kind here disclosed, one or more pins are in the full out position at all times, with the perforations in the paper and carbon pressed tightly against the side of the extended pin or pins. This tension against the pins in their full out position is constant in tight web or high speed operation as before described. An in-coming pin, without the compensating adjustment contemplated by the instant invention, would accordingly rub against the side of the perforation in the paper, regardless of the contour of the pin, and so would tend to raise the paper off the pins. The present construction permits the feeding pin to enter a perforation while in a. receded or circumferentially retracted position so that no part of the pin touches the side of the perforation. Then, as rotational movement of the pin wheel continues, the pin moves forward to take up its portion of the work load gradually and steadily as the previously extended pins are retracted radially inward. Similarly, the pins which are retracting from feeding position are removed from their position against the side of the perforation in another receding or circumferential retracting movement and so are withdrawn from engagement with the strip without a tendency to drag the paper downward.

In the operation of the pin wheel feeding device, the point at which the feeding pins extend above the strip supporting surface is defined and maintained by the rotary position of adjustment of the reactant plate 23 as determined by rod 25. Following the movements of each successive pin, and referring to Fig. 5, in pin position A the pin is in its retracted position with the longitudinal axis thereof in a line radial to the longitudinal axis of shaft 11. At B, the pin has been thrust partly out and rocked approximately 0.25" back or in a direction opposed to the direction of rotation of the pin wheel body. The peripheral distance between the partly projected pin and the next forward pin at C thereby is increased and entry of the partly extended feeding pin into a strip perforation is accomplished without interference. In moving from position B to position C, the pin rocks forwardly to reassume its normal position and at this time the pin is full out and feeding the strip. From position C through positions C and C the pin is full out and driving and any clearance between the pin and the perforation is at the rear of the pin. As it reaches position D, the pin has started to retract inward and is again rocked in a rearward direction as before, decreasing the distance from it and the next adjacent full out pin at C" to allow withdrawal from the strip without interference or dragging. At position E the pin has been fully retracted and is again on a true center line and remains so until it passes position A as before described. The illustrated example shows three feeding pins full out and driving at one and the same time. It will be understood that the instant invention has in view a pin wheel using more or less driving pins, as may be made necessary by particular design requirements.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise but one of several modes of putting the invention into effect.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In the feeding of perforate continuous web material, a rotary pin feeding device including a body and a reactant plate in side by side relatively rotatable relation, feeding pins mounted between said body and said plate, said body having a circumferential series of spaced apart approximately radial slots and said plate having inner and outer carn races, and said pins having laterally projecting portions received in said slots for relative longitudinal and rotary motions and other laterally projecting portions received in respective cam races.

2. A rotary pin feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first said laterally projecting portions serve as guides for radial extending and retracting movements of the pins and as pivots for rocking movements of said pins, one of said cam races being arranged to compel radial movements of said pins and the other being arranged to compel rocking movements thereof.

3. In the feeding of perforate continuous web material, a rotary pin feeding device including a rotatable body, a relatively stationary reactant plate in parallel adjacent relation to said body, the adjoining faces of said body and said plate having in the one instance a circumferential series of spaced apart radial slots and in the other instance a pair of radially spaced apart irregular cam races, and a circumferential series of feeding pins received between said body and said plate, each of said pins having a laterally projecting portion received in a respective one of said slots and in opposing relation to the first said portion other radially spaced apart projecting portions received in respective ones of said cam races.

4. A rotary pin feeding device according to claim 3, characterized in that said respective cam races and said other projecting portions cooperate in the one instance selectively to extend and retract said pins in response to relative rotation of said body and said plate, and in the other instance selectively to rock said pins about the first said projecting portion as a pivot.

5. A rotary pin feeding device according to claim 4, characterized in that said slots are in said body, the entry of said first projecting pin portions into said slots defining a driving relation between said body and said pins.

6. In the feeding of perforate continuous web material, a rotary pin feeding device including a rotary body, a

circumferential series of radially elongated slots in the A side of said body, a circumferential series of feeding pins each having a laterally projecting portion received in a respective one of said slots and movable therein in a radial sense to extend and retract said pins relatively to the periphery of said body, said pins being carried by said body with rotation thereof, and a reactant plate in side by side adjacent relation to said body and having in the adjoining side thereof irregular cam races, said pins having other laterally projecting portions of the same number as the number of cam races received in respective cam races to guide said feeding pins through said radial movement and through rocking movements about the first said projecting portion as a pivot.

7. A rotary pin feeding device according to claim 6, characterized in that said cam races comprise a pair of races, one of said other projecting portions being in aligned relation to the first said projecting portion and received in one of said races to effect radial movement of said feeding pins, the other one of said other projecting portions being received in the other cam race and effecting rocking movement of said pins.

8. In the feeding of perforate continuous web material, a rotary body, a reactant plate in side by side adjacent relation to said body, a pair of irregular cam races in the adjoining face of said plate, said races being substantially identical in configuration but circumferentially offset .with respect to one another, a circumferential series of spaced apart radially elongated slots in the adjoining face of said body, and a circumferential series of feeding pins between said body and said plate, each of said pins having opposed laterally projecting portions one of which is received in a respective one of said slots and the other of which is received .in one of said cam races, each of said pins further having another lateral projecting portion spaced longitudinally of the pin from said opposed portions and received in the other one of said cam races.

9. A device according to claim 8, characterized in that each of said feeding pins is formed with a tail portion projecting angularly out of the main axis of the pin in a direction opposed to the direction of rotation of the body, the said other lateral projecting portion on each feeding pin being on said tail portion.

10. In the feeding of perforate continuous web material, a rotary pin feeding device including a body having a hub, an intermediate step portion and a periphery, said body being formed with a circumferential series of spaced apart radially elongated slots between said step portion and'said periphery, a reactant member rotatably mounted on said step portion, said reactant member' 'on said hub and secured to said body, said retainer having a. peripheral portion aligned with the peripheries of said bodyand said plate.

11. A rotary feeding device according to claim 10, characterized by a peripheral recess on the periphery of said body and a peripheral recess on the periphery of said retainer selectively providing a seat for the end of a platen tube, the peripheral recess on the body being adjacent the outer face thereof while the peripheral recess on the retainer is adjacent the inner face thereof.

12. In the feeding of perforate continuous web material, a rotary pin feeding device including a body and a. reactant plate in side by side relatively rotatable relation, feeding pins mounted between said body and said plate, and interengaging means providing .a driving connection between said feeding pins and said body, said interengaging means including a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending surfaces on said body and portions projecting laterally from said feeding pins to slidably engage said surfaces, there being one surface and one laterally projecting portion slidably engaged therewith for each said pin, said plate having inner and outercam races, said pins having other laterally projecting portions received in respective cam races, and means to prevent rotation of said pins about their axes.

13. The rotary pin feeding device according to claim 12 wherein the portions projecting laterally from said pins to slidably engage the margins on said body are each aligned coaxially with one of said other portions projecting laterally from the same pin.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,102,651 Sherman et al. Dec. 21, 1937 2,271,306 Nichols Jan. 27, 1942 2,487,870 Harrison Nov. 15, 1949 2,599,648 Lanegan June 10, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 499,455 Belgium Dec. 15, 1950 

